Stupid People Tricks

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Demolition, Man

A practical joke goes horribly awry.

Unknown: Man's house demolished after friend places an ad in paper for a joke.

A fellow places an ad in the paper explaining that they are looking for someone to demolish their house cheap. Of course, being a funny guy, he lists his buddy's home address and no telephone number. The house is demolished by a demolition company with time on its hands for free.

Documented: The authorities demolish (burn, blow-up) the wrong house by accident.

As Bo Bradham pointed out in 8esmpp$1eb$1@panix2.panix.com these stories are relatively common.

Los Angeles Times April 5, 1987, Sunday, Home Edition SECTION: Part 1; Page 2; Column 3; Metro Desk HEADLINE: THE STATE; OOPS! SORRY ABOUT THAT, SANTA CLARA Authorities in Santa Clara said the Fire Department's latest training mission, in which a vacant house was set ablaze to give rookies "hands-on" experience, was a complete success -- except for one minor detail: They torched the wrong house.

St. Petersburg Times May 23, 1987, Saturday, City Edition SECTION: NATIONAL; Pg. 6A HEADLINE: Wrong house wrecked Mary Rhodes, 79, of Oakland, N.J., stands near the ruins of her cottage, which was mistakenly bulldozed this week by a crew clearing the way for a highway.

The Gazette (Montreal) May 7, 1998, Thursday, FINAL EDITION SECTION: NEWS; Pg. A9 HEADLINE: War games gone horribly wrong: Army pays up after mistakenly blowing up man's house, barn and coop BYLINE: NEAL HALL; VANCOUVER SUN DATELINE: VANCOUVER

The Courier-Journal (Louisville, KY) May 20, 1993, Thursday - METRO Edition SECTION: NEWS; Pg. 1B HEADLINE: WRONG HOUSE RAZED FOR AIRPORT PROJECT BYLINE: LAWRENCE MUHAMMAD About two months after the wrong church was razed for the airport expansion, a house that the city did not yet own was demolished,...

The best one, for my money (Bo's), is this one: St. Petersburg Times October 22, 1988, Saturday, City Edition SECTION: CITY TIMES; Pg. 8 HEADLINE: Wrong house razed in Tarpon Springs BYLINE: LISA GRACE LEDNICER TARPON SPRINGS - The order was simple: The contractor was supposed to tear down a vacant, white, frame house the city had declared unsafe. He tore down the wrong house. ...

I like it because of this quote: "Sometimes you think you've got the right house, and sometimes you don't have it," he said.